CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced Thursday the 22 players who have been chosen to represent Canada at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship, taking place from Dec. 31, 2011 to Jan. 7, 2012 in Prerov and Zlin, Czech Republic.

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team includes two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards. Defenceman Erin Ambrose (Keswick, Ont./Toronto, PWHL) returns to the roster after claiming a silver medal at the 2011 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, and winning Canada’s first-ever gold medal at the 2010 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship in Chicago, Ill.

Eighteen players were also members of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team for a three-game series against the U.S. Women’s Under-18 Team in August in Rockland, Ont., falling 3-2 in the first game but coming back to win 3-2 and 6-4 in the second and third games.

*Played for Canada in a three-game series against the United States in August.

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team roster also includes:

· Two members of the Alberta team that won the gold medal at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax, N.S., in February (Maschmeyer, Sowchuk).

· One member of the Notre Dame Hounds, who won the gold medal at the 2011 Esso Cup, Canada’s National Female Midget Championship, in St. Albert, Alta., in April (Woods).

· Two players who participated in the 2011 IIHF High Performance Women’s Camp in Bratislava, Slovakia, in July (Capizzano, Krzyzaniak).

“The players chosen for Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team have proven themselves to be strong and skilled at past Hockey Canada championships and events, as well as with their club and school teams,” said Kalli Quinn, director of female national teams for Hockey Canada. “We congratulate these young athletes on making it to the international stage.”

“We’re extremely excited about the talented team that will represent Canada at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship,” added head coach Pierre Alain. “These players bring great chemistry to the ice and will work hard to bring home gold from the Czech Republic to help start the new year off right.”

Canada plays its first game at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship against Switerzland at 1 p.m. local time/7 a.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 31 in Prerov, and will also take on Germany and Finland in the preliminary round. The gold medal game takes place at 7 p.m. local time/1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 7 in Zlin.